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“Americans aren’t going to be separated from technology and the connectedness they’ve come to expect,” said Matt Blunt, a former Missouri governor and president of the American Automotive Policy Council. “They are going to want access, and there are two ways to do that. We certainly believe you need to integrate technology into the vehicle rather than forcing people to use hand-helds.”

The catch: Federal guidelines for cellphone use among everyday drivers don’t exist. The draft recommendations, which draw from the Alliance of Automobile Manufactures, mark the first of its kind.

They urge automakers to disable functions that consume drivers’ attention, such as sticking addresses into a navigation tool, viewing constantly moving maps on GPS screens or browsing the Internet.

Until this point, the Department of Transportation has focused on the role states can play in clamping down on inattentive drivers. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has led the charge to prohibit texting while driving, and 37 states now ban it. Commercial motor vehicle drivers, railroad operators and some government employees face restrictions on their use of electronic devices while driving.

Lawmakers have offered up a series of bills that would rip funding from states without distracted driving laws. The National Transportation Safety Board last year went as far as to recommend states nix all cellphone use behind the wheel. But the latest guidelines redirect decisions affecting the average driver to the national level.

Safety administration officials say they started with in-vehicle devices because the agency holds clearer regulatory authority over automakers and could issue them faster. The group will set final guidelines after opportunities for comment end in late April.

Although voluntary, the recommendations carry significant weight.

“We recognize that vehicle manufacturers want to build vehicles that include the tools and conveniences expected by today’s American drivers,” NHTSA Administrator David Strickland said when the department released the recommendations in February. “The guidelines we’re proposing would offer real-world guidance to automakers to help them develop electronic devices that provide features consumers want — without disrupting a driver’s attention or sacrificing safety.”

Readers' Comments (2)

The "Progressives" won't be happy until we are all in public transportation, or on bicycles. They will do everything that they can do to make travel more difficult, uncomfortable or under government control.

Think about this, the next time you see a cop cruise along at 15 MPH above the speed limit, not wearing his seatbelt, texting on the computer terminal and yakking away on his cell phone.